Greensky Bluegrass Launches New Line of Custom Merch and Apparel

Greensky Bluegrass brings a touch of “magic” to their 2018 Fall Tour merch and apparel line at Red Rocks Amphitheater Sept. 22-23, 2018.

For the five members of the 18-year-old Kalamazoo, Michigan bluegrass band, bringing their A-merch game is nearly as important as the music itself.

Well, maybe not that important, but it’s safe to say this band — one known for their "psychedelic swirling sound and wide-range of melodious diversity" — puts much more thought into the ways in which their brand is extended through merchandise and apparel in order to capture and preserve the feeling you get when you experience their music.

If you’ve ever attended a show at Colorado’s iconic music venue, Red Rocks, you know about this magic feeling: halfway through the headliner, there’s this moment that seems to stop in time.

You look around at the packed stairs, often flooded with over 9,000 people, gazing wide-eyed at the 200-million-year-old angled rock formations, and it hits you: it’s this-right-here-in-this-moment-kind-of-magic feeling that is not easily forgotten and thought of fondly for years to come; and the only kind of feeling that comes from a deeper connection.

And it’s exactly the kind of in-the-moment magic the band was hoping to achieve when they partnered with us to create a Red Rocks specific line of custom merchandise and premium apparel for their 2018 Fall tour.

Did you attend either or both nights of the show and snag some sweet new merch from Greensky Bluegrass? Snap a pic of the item(s) #irl (that’s Millennial for “in real life”) and tag us and our string pickin’ friends on the ‘gram @anthembranding + @greenskybluegrass. Throw in the #irl for extra measure.

The Red Rocks pieces in Greensky Bluegrass’ merchandise lineup needed to capture that magic, embody their brand and it’s ethos, and keep their fans layered and warm the entire show and beyond

While part of the inspiration was drawn from illustrated National Park signage and the recent work we did together on their Camp Greensky festival branding and merch — the aesthetic of the final designs were drawn from wanting to drive an emotion.

The band wanted to incorporate dark and moody, yet, earthy and free-spirited vibes; similar emotions that are commonly felt while listening to the bluegrass band.

But we wanted to take the level of detail even further by adding another layer of customization to the line, which is where our core capabilities and expertise in sourcing premium apparel came in. With the constant fluctuations of Colorado weather, especially at the turn of a season, layers are a must.

The quality of products that Greensky Bluegrass is known for stocking their merch shelves with takes these details into consideration, and then some for every single creative branding project we partner on.

When the band reviewed the final designs, created by our Art Director Courtney McArtor, it was between two versions of the same design — an illustrated landscape of saturated pumpkin and orange hued Red Rocks sitting against a Rocky Mountain backdrop either with the brightness of a sunrise sky or the moody and darkness of a starry night sky — so, they went with both.

Greensky Bluegrass wanted to not only create merchandise that breaks up the band tee monotony, but to create that feeling of the venue, of Colorado, and of the experience listening to their music emulating the ups and downs of life; a symbolic and tangible nod to their work.